Apparatus for forming terminals and attaching same to wires



R. P. HIPPLE APPARATUS FOR FORMING TERMINALS JuIy'Z'o, 1954 AND ATTACHING SAME TO WIRES 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 21, 1950 3- e-tmii.

?ZM W734 47'TOBA/E' Y6 July 20, 1954 R. P. HIPPLE 2,684,421 APPARATUS FOR FORMING TERMINALS AND ATTACHING SAME TO WIRES Filed July 21, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 a 4?" role/Ways 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 R. P. HIPPLE APPARATUS FOR FORMING TERMINALS AND ATTACHING SAME TO WIRES lllllllHll July 20, 1954 Filed July 21, 1950 III II lHll y 0, 1954 R; p. HIPPLE 2,684,421

APPAR S FOR FORMING TERMINALS AND TACHING SAME TO WIRES Filed July 21, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 v \mm R IIIH lllll y 1954 R. P. HIPPLE 2,684,421

APPARATUS FOR FORMING TERMINALS AND ATTACHING SAME TO WIRES 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 21, 1950 AAAAA II! V y 2 1954 R. P. HIPPLE APPARATUS FOR FORMING TERMINALS AND ATTACHING SAME TO WIRES 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed July 21, 1950 July 20, 1954 R. P. HIPPLE APPARATUS FOR FORMING TERMINALS AND ATTACHING SAME TO WIRES 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed July 21, 1950 Toe IVE-Y6 Patented July 20, 1954 APPARATUS FOR FORMING TERMINALS AND ATTACHING SAME TO WIRES Roy P. Hipple, Warren, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, D

tion of Delaware etroit, Mich., a corpora- Application July 21, 1950, Serial No. 175,093

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to the art of manufacturing terminals from strip sheet metal and for mechanically and electrically connecting them with a wire.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus adapted to be operated by a punch press and which forms terminals from a strip of sheet metal fed lengthwise which severs them successively from the strip and feeds them to a station where an operator applies a wire to the terminal and where devices crimp portions of the terminal around the wire and where welding electrodes connected with a welding current source are applied to weld the bared core to the terminal. The apparatus comprises a base assembly adapted for mounting on the press bed and a head assembly adapted for support by the press ram, said assemblies having cooperating punches and dies which respectively operate at stations to shape the strip to progressively form a terminal having ears for attaching the terminal to a wire having a bared core portion extending from the insulated portion of the wire and having, at the last operating station, means for crimping the ears around the wire and electrodes for welding the core to the terminal, said assemblies providing at a station in advance of the welding station, means for severing the terminal from the strip fed by the press, and the base assembly providing means for guiding severed terminals in the welding station and for maintaining location thereof at the welding station.

Further objects and. advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a machine embodying the invention.

Figs. 1A, 1B and 1C are fragmentary sectional views taken, respectively, on lines iA-!A, lB-IB and IC-iC of Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the machine, partly in section, the section being taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View showing the steps of forming a terminal clip, the left end terminal clip being attached to a wire.

Figs. 6, '7 and 8 are sectional views, taken respectively, on lines 6-6, 17 and 8-8 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing parts (:1 thereof in different positions. of Fig. 17 enlarged.

Figs. 10 and 11 are sectional views on the lines l8i0 and lll| of Fig. 3.

Fig. 11A is an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 11.

Figs. 12, 13 and 14 are sectional views on lines l2-l2, i3l3 and |4l4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 14A is a view similar to Fig. 14, showing the parts thereof in different positions.

Fig. 15 is a sectional View on line i5-l5 of Fig. 18.

Fig. 15A is a view similar to Fig. 15, showing parts thereof in different positions.

Fig. 16 is a plan view of a lower die cover plate.

Figs. 16A and 17 are views, respectively, in the direction of arrows I 6A and I! of Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a plan view of the lower die assembly on line l8l8 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 19 is a bottom view of the upper punch assembly on line Iii-I9 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 20 is a plan View of the strip as it is formed by the punches and dies shown in Figs. 18 and 19.

Referring to Fig. 5, a strip of material 39 is operated upon by punches and dies capable of being mounted in a conventional punch press having means for feeding the strip in a direction which is toward the left in Figs. 5 and 3 and down in Fig. 20. At Various stations, numbered I tn 8 in Figs. 5 and 20, certain operations are performed. At station I, the strip is deformed to provide a small boss 3| (Fig. 5). As the strip is fed toward the left in Fig. 3, it passes Fig. 9A is part through a groove 33a (Fig. 16) provided by a cover plate 33 attached by screws 33:; (Figs. 3 and 4) to two die holders 34 and 35 which, as shown in Fig. 18, are fastened together by screws 36 so that they meet on the lines 3'! and 38. I'hese plates 34 and 35 secure between them a plate 40 which, as shown in Figs. 3, 6 and 18, locates a punch 4! which is confined in a groove of plate 40 by a block 42. Punch 4| is in alignment with a socket 44 of a die 45 clamped between plates 46 and 41 (Fig. 19) and held together by screws 48. Plates 34 and 35 are attached to a base 50 (Fig. 18) mounted on the bed B (Fig. 2) of the punch press. Plates 46 and 47 are attached to a head 51 having a dovetail flange 52a (Fig. 1) received by a similar groove in the ram or plunger 52 guided by the frame 53 (Fig. 2) of the punch press. As the ram 52 descends, the strip 30 is squeezed between the die 45 and the punch 4| (Figs. 3 and 6) to form the boss 3| (Fig. 5). The die 45 (Fig. 6)

3 passes through a hole 331) (Fig. 17) in cover 33 which provides a groove 330 which receives the boss BI.

At station 2 (Figs. and the strip as is shaped to form the blank (it having ears Si, 62 and 63 which are joined to the strip 3?) by a neck (i i. The operation of forming the blank 513 is performed by punches and dies at station 2 as shown in Fig. 7. Punches 65 and El are confined between bars as and ll (Fig. 19) with a spacing block 68 between them. Dies 6E and 51 co operate with a fixed punch it (Fig. 18) which is received between them, said punch having a central groove receiving a tang ll of the block 42 and said punch Hi being located between blocks Id and i5 confined between bars t l and 35 (Fig. 18). The blocks 76 and i5 and the bars 34 and 35 are provided with inclined surfaces Ma, 55a, 3 5a, 35a and the base 55 is provided with surfaces 50a (Fig. '7) which provide inclined chutes down which the metal sheared from the strip to form the blank 68 (Fig. 5) may descend.

The operation performed at station 3 (Fig. 5) is to bend the ears 6E as shown at did. This operation is performed by a punch 8% (Fig. 8) integral with a block 8! cornined between bars 46 and ii (Fig. 19) and having prongs 32 which cooperate with a die 33 (Figs. 8 and 18) having a slightly depressed surface 8% and having inclined surfaces shaped to produce the bending of the ears SI and 54a. Recess 33 in cover 33 receives punch 8t and holes 339' receive the prongs 82 (Figs. 16 and 8).

The next operation is to cause the ears of the blank st to be bent, as shown at station a (Fig. 5), into the positions bib, 52a and 63a, respectively. For this purpose, the cover plate 33 (Fig. 15) provides a rib 537' about which the ears are cent by upward movement or" a head SI (Fig. 4) of a rod 92, said head 9| moving from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 9. During this movement, the prongs of the head 9! are received by holes 38h (Fig. 16) of plate 33. Head 9! moves between bars 3 3 and 35. Normally the head is down as shown in Fig. 4. To hold it down there is a spring 93 confined between a washer 9 bearing against the base 50 and a washer 55 hearing against a nut 96 attached to the threaded end of rod 92. Rod 92 has a notch 9i for receiving an end of a lever 98 pivotally supported by a pin QB fixed to a bracket it!) which screws lei attach to base 56. Movement of the head a: from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 9, is effected during downward movement of the head 5| by virtue of engagement with the lever as by a screw I92 threaded through a bracket m3 which screws I M attach to head 5!. Screw I82 is adjustable and is retained in the desired position of adjustment by lock nut m5. During the operation at station i, the central part of the blank 60 is confined between rib 337' (Fig. 9) and a rib 9Ib of a block cm (Fig. 3) which appears H-shaped in Fig. 18 and is confined between bars 3 and 35. At station 5 (Fig. 5), no change is made in the formation of the terminal. At station 5, the neck as is severed by the cooperation of a punch II!) (Fig. 10) confined between bars at and G'i (Figs. 10 and 19) and cooperating with a die III (Fig. 18) having a groove II2 for receiving the punch, and groove being closed by a block H3 (Fig. 18). Base 50 has a hole ilZa through which the severed neck 6 gravitates. Plate 33 has a hole 3370 (Fig. 16) which receives the punch III).

At station I (Fig. 5), the ears SI are formed as shown at 6Ic. This is effected by the cooperation of a die I2!) (Fig. 11) retained between bars 46 and 41 and cooperating with an anvil I2I which screws I22 (Fig. 3) attach to a bar I23 which screws I24 attach to plate 33 (Fig. 11). During the operation at station I, the central point of the terminal T is supported by a surface I2Ia (Fig. 11) of a block I2Ib. The anvil I2I carries pins I25 (Fig. 3) which are received in the space between the bent-over edges of ears 610 (Fig. 5), thus locating the terminal clip T rotatively relative to the anvil I2I. As the strip ac moves to the left in Figs. 5 and 3, it will push the severed terminal T from station 6 to station 7 and from station '5 to station 8. As the terminal T moves from station 1 to station 8 (Fig. 5), the bent ears Slc receive between them the left hand pin I25 on the anvil I2i so that the terminal will not turn while at station 8.

As shown in Figs. 3, 9A and 16, plate 33 has a notch 33I which receives anvil I2I and the rib 33 has the groove 3% at its bottom and two side grooves 33m which receive ears SI bent to 5Ib at station 4 (Fig. 5).

At station 8, the terminal is attached to the wire W and is welded thereto. The operator places the wire W with its bared core C upon the terminal T. To locate the wire properly with respect to the terminal, the operator pushes the core C against a stop bar I30 which is guided for horizontal movement by a plate I3I and which is urged to the right in the position shown by a spring I32 within a hollow plug I33 secured into a plate Iii-i fastened to plate I3I. Right movement of the bar I38 by spring I32 is limited by the engagement with the end of a notch I35 of plate [ill by pin I36 attached to bar I39. Plate I3I has a groove I3? for receiving a bar I38 attached to head 5| (Fig. 15A) and having an oblique camming surface 539. Bar I38 is received by a groove I40 in bar I39; and the corner I lI of groove I46 is engaged by the surface I39 as the bar I38 moves to the position shown in Fig. 15A to effect retraction of the strip I3i) to permit engagement of the work by a welding electrode. While the terminal is supported by a projection I56 of a block IEI confined between plates 35 and 35 (Fig. 13), dies I El and E53 (Figs. 13 and 3) confined between bars alt and l! (Fig. 19), descend to cause, respectively, the operations of bending the ears 63 around the insulation of the wire W as indicated at 63b (Fig. 5) and the operation of bending the ears 52 around the bared core C of the wire as indicated at 62?).

The core 0 is welded to the terminal T while the terminal T is supported by a fixed electrode 166 (Fig. 3) and a movable electrode It! is caused to descend upon the core and exert pressure thereon while welding current passes. Electrode it!) (Figs. 1 and 2) extends through a block I65?) confined between bars 34 and 35 (Fig. 18) and the tubular, water cooled holder lSGa which supports electrode its extends through a non-conducting bushing I52 supported by a bed B, a nonconducting bushing I53 in a bracket its and a split threaded bushing H55 threaded into a clamping bracket i665. Brackets I54 and I65 are 5ecured to a plate It! which screws it? attach to bed 13, said plate It'l being insulated by the provision of non-conducting plates I59 and nonconducting bushings I'it (Fig. 1C). The electrode holder Ififia can be adjusted vertically and then clamped in adjusted position by the turning of a screw I'II (Fig. 1B) which causes a clamping portion I72 of bracket I66 to be drawn tightly against the split bushing I65 and the latter thereby retracted around the electrode holder Hilda.

The upper electrode I5I is mounted in a tubular, water cooled holder Hill; which is supported by the press ram 52 and guided for vertical movement relative thereto by brackets I'i5 and I it attached to a plate ITI which (as shown in Fig. 1A) together with a plate I18 is attached to the ram 52 by screws ITS which pass through nonconducting plates I80 and I8I and non-conducting bushings I52. Holder ISIa is embraced by a clamp ring I84 (Fig. 1A) which can be adjusted along the electrode and then clamped thereto by tightening of a screw I85 (Fig. 1A). Holder Itla is prevented from turning due to the location of arms 5 86 which are part of the clamp ring use between pins I8! attached to bracket I15. A spring I88 is confined between the clamp I84 and the lower end of a bushing I89 threaded through the bracket I18 and tends to urge the latter against the bracket I15. When the electrode It! is caused by ram 52 to descend upon the wire core C, the ram 52 travels slightly further so that the spring I852 urges the electrode I6! against the core C with pressure which can be adjusted by turning the bushing I89. When the ram 52 is raised, the bracket I I5 engages the clamp ring I84 to lift the holder ISIa and the supported electrode I 6 I.

The electrode holders IGIla and IEiIa are connected with a welding current source by conneoting straps, not shown, and by hoses (not shown) with a source of cooling water.

During the operations performed at station 8, the wire W is clamped between plungers I90 and IQI (Figs. 14 and 14A). Plunger I95 is guided by a block I92 received between bars 34 and 35 and is urged upwardly by a spring I 93 until lugs l 9 1 of the plunger IQB engage shoulders I95 of the block I92. Plunger I si is guided by a block I95 which, as shown in Fig. 19, is attached to plates 35 and ill by screws I91. A spring I98 (Fig. 14) urges plunger I5I downwardly until lugs I99 thereof engage shoulders 29d of block I96. As the head 5i moves down from the position shown in Fig. 14 to that shown in Fig. 14A to cause the wire W to be clamped between the plungers I9I and I99, the plunger I95 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 14A wherein a hole 2M of the plunger receives a pin 2&2 which moves horizontally to the right due to the action of a spring 233 surrounding a rod bearing upwardly against a washer 203a urged by the spring 253 against the head 5I and bearing downwardl against a washer 205 which bears against a lever 2535 pivoted at 201 on a plate 2% and connected by pin 259 with the pin 202. The plunger I99 is held down after the wire is attached to the terminal while the operator removes the wire with terminal attached. It is desirable to hold the plunger I913 down during withdrawal of the wire because the lower spring I93, if allowed to expand, and lift the plunger I95 to normal position as the head 5| (Fig. 3) begins upward movement, might cause bending of the wire where it joins the terminal. When the head 5| returns to its upper position shown in Fig. 14, the pin W2 is retracted from the hole ZBI of plunger I95 to allow the plunger to return to the posi tion shown in Fig. 14.. The retraction of the pin 2% is effected by upward movement of rod 204 at the time when nuts 2H) on the upper end of rod 204 are being moved upwardly by head 5I and the nuts ZII on the lower end of rod 204 are engaging lever 206 to move it clockwise.

During the vertical movements of head 5I (Fig. 4) relative to base 50, the pilot bushings 5Ib thereof receive pilot pins attached to the base 50. Actually the separation of head 5I from base 50 is not so great as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and other figures. Separation is shown greater than normal for clarity of illustration.

The cars 6| which are formed as shown at BIC in Fig. 5 provide a socket for receiving a plug connector. If the terminal to be formed and attached to a wire were one having a fiat plate instead of a socket, the blank would be one which provides, between cars 62 at station 2 (Fig. 5), and neck 64 a flat plate sometimes known as a spade which is adapted to be received by a spadeterminal-receiving connector socket. If the terminal is one having a flat end, the operation at stations 3 and 1 would be omitted. Since the anvil I2I would not be required, the cover plate 33 would be long enough to provide a groove 33a which would extend to stop bar we (Fig. 3) so that the terminal, after having been severed, would be located edgewise at the last station where the operations are performed as described for station 8 of the illustrated apparatus.

The welding and terminal shaping operations performed at station 8 require close spacing of electrode I6! and dies I53 and I52 and close spacing of electrode I and block I5l (Fig. 3). It is advantageous to sever the terminal T in advance of its arrival at station 8 and to cause movement of the severed terminals by movement of the unsevered strip. For the guidance of the severed terminals, the anvil I2I at station 'I is used.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Apparatus for forming a terminal clip from a metal strip and attaching the clip to an electrical conductor, comprising fixed forming dies, a member for supporting said dies in a generally aligned relationship, a ram movable relatively to the dies, a plurality of punches supported by the ram in normally spaced alignment with said dies and adapted to cooperate therewith, means operable to move the ram so as to bring all of said punches into cooperative engagement with the dies as said metal strip is moved past the dies in order to progressively form a terminal having a plurality of cars by means of which the terminal is attached to an insulated wire having a bared core portion, means for moving said strip lengthwise past said dies intermittently so that a part of the strip from which a clip is formed is progressively moved to difierent positions with respect to said dies, said punches and said dies coacting at said different positions to form said clip, said ram including a punch adapted to coact with an oppositely disposed die to crimp a first set of ears of said clip around the bared core and a second set of ears about the insulated part of the wire at the last position occupied by said clip before it is moved beyond the dies, a fixed electrode mounted on said die supporting member, another electrode mounted upon said ram and movable with respect thereto, said electrodes adapted to coact to weld said first set of ears to said cared core concurrently with said crimping operation, means for severing the terminal clip from said strip before :the crimping and welding operations, and guiding means in alignment with a path of movement of said strip for guiding the severed clip whereby movement of the strip effects movement of the clip to the crimping position.

2. Apparatus for forming a terminal clip from a metal strip and attaching the clip to elec trical conductor, comprising fixed forming dies, a member for supporting said dies in a generally aligned relationship, a ram movable relatively to the dies, a plurality of punches supported by the ram in normally spaced alignment with said dies and adapted to cooperate therewith, means operable to move the ram so as to bring all of said punches into cooperative engagement with the dies as said metal strip is moved past the dies in order to form a terminal having a plurality oi ears by means of which the terminal isattached to an insulated wire having a bared core portion, means for moving said strip lengthwise past said dies intermittently so that a part of the strip from which the clip is formed is progressively moved to different positions with respect to said dies, said punches and dies coacting at said different positions to form said clip, said ram including a punch adapted to coact with an oppositely disposed die to crimp a first set of cars of said clip around the barecl coreiand a second set of ears around the insulated part of the wire at the last position occupied by said clip before it is moved beyond the dies, a fixed electrode mounted on said die supporting member, another electrode mounted upon said ram and movable with respect thereto, said electrodes adapted to coact to weld said first set of 'ears to said bared core concurrently with said crimping operation, a stop located in the path of movement of said movable electrode for normally limiting its movement toward the core, and means operated by movement of said ram toward the dies for retracting the stop so as to permit movement of the electrode to welding position.

3. Apparatus for forming a terminal clip from a metal strip and attaching the clip to an electrical conductor, comprising fixed forming dies, a member for supporting said dies in generally aligned relationship, a ram movable relatively to the dies, a plurality of punches supported by r the ram in normally spaced alignment with said dies and adapted to cooperate therewith, means operable to move the ram so as to bring all of said punches into cooperative engagement with the dies as said metal strip is moved past the dies in order to progressively form a terminal having a plurality of ears by means of which the terminal is attached to an insulated wire having a bared core portion, means for moving said strip lengthwise past said dies intermittently so that a part of the strip from which a clip is formed is progressively moved to differentpositions with respect to said dies, said punches and dies coacting at said diiierent positions to form said clip, said ram including a punch adapted to coact with an oppositely disposed die to crimp a first set of ears of said clip around the bared core and a second set of cars about the insulated part of the wire at the last position occupied by said clip before it is moved beyond the die, a fixed electrode mounted on said die supporting member, another electrode mounted upon said ram and movable with respect thereto,

said electrodes adapted to 'coact to'weld said firstset of ears to said bared core concurrently with said crimping operation, and spring operated members supported by the ram and fixed dies respectively proximate the welding position and movable into welding engagement with'the conductor when the ram is moved toward the die.

4. Apparatus for forming a terminal clip from a metal stripv and attaching the clip to anelectrical conductor, comprising fixed forming dies. a member for supporting said dies in a generally aligned relationship, a ram movable relatively to the dies, a plurality of punches supported by theram in normally spaced alignment with said dies and adapted to cooperate therewith, means operable to move the ram to bring said punches into cooperative engagement with the dies to progressively form a terminal having a plurality of cars by means of which the terminal is attached to an insulated wire having a bared core portion as said metal strip is moved past the dies, means for moving said strip lengthwise past said dies intermittently so that a part of the strip from which a clip is formed is progressively moved to different positions with respect to said dies, said punches and dies coacting at said different positions to form said clip, said ram including a punch adapted to ccact with an oppositely disposed die to crimp the first set or" cars of said clip around the bared core and a second set of ears about the insulated part of the wire at the last position occupied by said clip before it is beyond the dies, a fixed electrode mounted on said die supporting member, another electrode mounted on said ram and movable with respect thereto, said eiectrodes adapted to coact to weld said first set of cars to said bared core, two wire engaging clamps supported respectively by the dies and ram and disposed adjacent said electrodes, the first clamp having a wire engaging surface normally located above the terminal engaging surface of said electrode, a springfor. urging said first clamp upwardly, means responsive to the movement of the ram toward the dies for causing the second clamp to engage the wire and to force the first clamp to a position lower than normal, a latch adapted to be operatively connected to the first clamp to. maintain said first clamp in its lower position against the action of said spring, and means operated by the ram as it substantially completes its movement away from the dies for retracting said latch in order to permit the operator to remove the wire from the terminal attached before the first clamp can return to normal position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED. STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,613,715 Matson Jan. 11, 1927 1,873,125 Holmes et a1. Aug. 23, 1932 1,959,150 Basch et a1. May 15, 1934 2,169,802 Keller Aug. 15, 1939 2,288,918 Parker July 7, 1942 2309,14? Neuhaus et al Oct. 8, 1946 2,477,859 Burge et a1. Aug. 2, 1949 2,494,137 Martines Jan. 18,1950

OTHER REFERENCES Page 3 of the section entitled Terminal Assembly Methods That Reduce Costs in the A.-'MP.:Bulletin No. 49 1. (Copy in Div. 14.) 

